Teams & Riders The Remco Evenepoel is the next Eddy Merckx thread

[red_flanders]

He is not going to race it. Too much of a risk for his TDF focus. He just wants an actual shot without hiccups

I agree he probably won't. But I don't think it's any more dangerous than any other race, and I'd like to see him do it.

 

[Berniece]

I agree he probably won't. But I don't think it's any more dangerous than any other race, and I'd like to see him do it.

I agree, might even help with his confidence

 

[Cookster15]

A big rider like him

Are we discussing Remco? He is only 5'7" and 61Kg. I don't see how that could be considered big ?

 

[RedheadDane]

Are we discussing Remco? He is only 5'7" and 61Kg. I don't see how that could be considered big ?

Dude... make up your mind!
Either use Metric, or use Imperial.
Don't do that...




(Please use Metric.)

 

[Cookster15]

Dude... make up your mind!
Either use Metric, or use Imperial.
Don't do that...




(Please use Metric.)

Apologies, 171cm, 61Kg. Like I said, that isn't "big".

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Apologies, 171cm, 61Kg. Like I said, that isn't "big".

Sorry but when did he weigh 61 kilos? 3 times in his life? (last time maybe during Tour 2024, first time Giro 2021). During classics he should be like 2-3 kilos heavier.

 

[KoopaCycling]

I don't think he's winning that P-N at 2 or 3kgs less

Rly? If he was not all focused on Roglic, and let Jorgenson go up the road, i'm not sure were Jorgenson takes time on Evenepoel. And Remco took time on everyone else.

 

[Cookster15]

Sorry but when did he weigh 61 kilos? 3 times in his life? (last time maybe during Tour 2024, first time Giro 2021). During classics he should be like 2-3 kilos heavier.

Just went off obviously best case weight posted on the web - I think Remco's weight has been posted at 61 kg for a few years? But even if he's 64Kg that still isn't heavy for classics.

 

[AmRacer]

Are we discussing Remco? He is only 5'7" and 61Kg. I don't see how that could be considered big ?

Big, not in the meaning of his weight

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Just went off obviously best case weight posted on the web - I think Remco's weight has been posted at 61 kg for a few years? But even if he's 64Kg that still isn't heavy for classics.

64 kg relative to his height isn't a low weight for a cyclist. But maybe he meant big in terms of his status, not size.

 

[Cookster15]

64 kg relative to his height isn't a low weight for a cyclist. But maybe he meant big in terms of his status, not size.

Sure, but I struggle to see why physics cares about BMI? Watts per kilo says nothing about BMI or body shape. The physics are pretty simple.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Sure, but I struggle to see why physics cares about BMI? Watts per kilo says nothing about BMI or body shape. The physics are pretty simple.

Watts per kilo is a lot about mass (so BMI indirectly as well). Other than that it's thought that taller riders can produce more watts than shorter ones.

 

[Cookster15]

Watts per kilo is a lot about mass (so BMI indirectly as well). Other than that it's thought that taller riders can produce more watts than shorter ones.

What is Remco's best watts per kilo performance? We know he is super aero helping his TT, but I do think his watts are very high.

A Google AI search says this...

Remco Evenepoel's best watts per kg is around 6.5 W/kg, a figure reported for his 2022 performances and which he has stated hasn't significantly improved since

Historically this conversation reminds me of Andy Schleck vs Cadel Evans. Obviously Andy was taller and maybe had a lower BMI but Evans destroyed him in TT and nearly matched him climbing.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

What is Remco's best watts per kilo performance? We know he is super aero helping his TT, but I do think his watts are very high.

A Google AI search says this...



Historically this conversation reminds me of Andy Schleck vs Cadel Evans. Obviously Andy was taller and maybe had a lower BMI but Evans destroyed him in TT and nearly matched him climbing.

If Remco has such high watts then why he keeps losing one-week races to lesser riders when at 63-64 kg?
Remco at 64 kg vs much taller Pogacar at 64 kg (peak pre-Tour form) would be demolition in the mountains.
Remco at 61 kg is still inferior to Vingegaard at 59 kg (the latter is lighter and taller).
BMI matters, I guess.

 

[AmRacer]

If Remco has such high watts then why he keeps losing one-week races to lesser riders when at 63-64 kg?
Remco at 64 kg vs much taller Pogacar at 64 kg (peak pre-Tour form) would be demolition in the mountains.
Remco at 61 kg is still inferior to Vingegaard at 59 kg (the latter is lighter and taller).
BMI matters, I guess.

It's the thighs

 

[AlpRaid]

Rly? If he was not all focused on Roglic, and let Jorgenson go up the road, i'm not sure were Jorgenson takes time on Evenepoel. And Remco took time on everyone else.

also Jorgensen had already gone to altitude.

only pog (since 2024) seems undiminished by not going to altitude.

what a shocker!

 

[AlpRaid]

ultimately no one really cares about one week stage races.

also, as mentioned, he has so often been injured, recovering from injury, or health issues (TdS 2023, post-COVID).

also, if the one week stage races regularly had even a 20 km ITT (as they used to), he would have won many.

frankly, I don't care about 1-week stage races -- so often simply tune-ups for the GTs.

 

[red_flanders]

Apologies, 171cm, 61Kg. Like I said, that isn't "big".

I didn't mean physically big. I mean a former world and olympic champ, GT winner, monument winner. A "big time" rider...

 

[Oldman]

Rly? If he was not all focused on Roglic, and let Jorgenson go up the road, i'm not sure were Jorgenson takes time on Evenepoel. And Remco took time on everyone else.

Jorgenson pretty much rode his tempo to disengage Remco. He didn't attack and Remco didn't really matter on the last stage.
Assuming you can gauge Remco's focus to the degree he wouldn't pay attention when anyone went up the road is pretty intuitive. Particularly since Jorgenson was the danger guy.

 

[Cookster15]

I didn't mean physically big. I mean a former world and olympic champ, GT winner, monument winner. A "big time" rider...

Thanks for clarifying. I dropped in seeing a discussion on Remco and classics and obviously came to the wrong conclusion.

 

[red_flanders]

Thanks for clarifying. I dropped in seeing a discussion on Remco and classics and obviously came to the wrong conclusion.

I could have said it better. Strade is an important race, and Remco is an important rider. He should be there.

I think he and the race would mutually benefit from a strong performance there, he makes it a better race, and the race significantly adds to his palmares.

 

[kamaveli]

ultimately no one really cares about one week stage races.

More like nobody really cares about ITTs.

 

[houtdffan]

ultimately no one really cares about one week stage races.

also, as mentioned, he has so often been injured, recovering from injury, or health issues (TdS 2023, post-COVID).

also, if the one week stage races regularly had even a 20 km ITT (as they used to), he would have won many.

frankly, I don't care about 1-week stage races -- so often simply tune-ups for the GTs.

the Dauphine used to have a 50km ITT until Gouvenou got his claws on it

 

[Cookster15]

BMI matters, I guess.

Maybe it does. But I still don’t understand why.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Maybe it does. But I still don’t understand why.

When it comes to normal people it's very easy: high BMI usually implies a lot of fat (unnecessary luggage) which directly lowers relative VO2max.

When it comes to elite sportsmen it can be associated with another form of luggage: bone mass. Guys with lower BMI may simply have less mass useless for oxygen utilization (bones+fat).

According to this paper there's a negative correlation in sports (not that strong though):

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://journal.unesa.ac.id/index.php/jsmp/article/download/43372/pdf/141542&ved=2ahUKEwjKqsidx_OQAxUmcfEDHZmXIpIQFnoECB0QAQ&usg=AOvVaw3AWy6BAZczpuZ93BmqmFdg